Table of Contents
Why was YF-12 Cancelled?
In order to protect North America, 93 production F-12Bs needed to be built. However, the program was cancelled in the mid-1960s for budgetary reasons. Also, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) may have felt that the YF-12 would threaten the development of their other supersonic bomber, the XB-70 Valkyrie.
Was the YF-12 ever used?
The last remaining YF-12 saw continued use, however, in joint supersonic cruise testing between NASA and the U.S. Air Force, until it was ultimately retired to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in November of 1979.
Did the YF-12 have weapons?
The YF-12 was a twin-seat version of the then-secret single-seat Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); unlike the A-12, it was furnished with the Hughes AN/ASG-18 fire-control radar and could be armed with AIM-47 Falcon (GAR-9) air-to-air missiles.
What year did the YF-12 fly?
The first of three YF-12s flew in August 1963. In May 1965, the first and third YF-12s set several records, including a speed record of 2,070.101 mph and an altitude record of 80,257.65 feet. For their speed record flight, Col. Robert L.
What is the difference between the SR-71 and the YF 12?
The SR-71 differed from the YF-12A in that the YF-12A had a round nose while the SR-71 had its chine carried forward to the nose of the airplane. There were other differences in internal and external configuration, but the two aircraft shared common inlet designs, structural concepts, and subsystems.
How many a 12s were built?
13
Lockheed A-12
| A-12 | |
|---|---|
| Primary user | Central Intelligence Agency |
| Number built | A-12: 13; M-21: 2 |
| Variants | Lockheed YF-12 |
| Developed into | Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird |
Do any SR-71 still fly?
Since its retirement, the SR-71’s role has been taken up by a combination of reconnaissance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); a proposed UAV successor, the SR-72, is under development by Lockheed Martin, and scheduled to fly in 2025. The SR-71 has several nicknames, including “Blackbird” and “Habu”.
Is the A-12 faster than SR-71?
The A-12 is primarily an over flight vehicle unlike the SR-71. Its major advantages in capabilities to the SR-71 include its higher-resolution photography and its ability to go marginally faster (Mach 3.3) than the SR-71.
Why was the Blackbird discontinued?
The principal factor, however, was cost. In spite of the plane’s unparalleled service record, it was simply too expensive for the U.S. Air Force to continue to run after the end of the Cold War. Air Force officials were frank about this fact in 1989 hearings.